In 1979, I was given the opportunity to work at one of the largest cattle ranches in Canada as a cowboy. The Douglas Lake Cattle Ranch was (in 1979) over 500,000 acres of deeded and leased land in the heart of British Columbia's Nicola Valley. It was operating in much the same manner that it might have operated 100 years prior to my arrival. Everything was done "wild west" style.

There was one minor problem I needed to somehow rise above. I'd never ridden a horse and I didn't know the first thing about cattle. The only thing I had going for me was youth and stupidity. Why else would I think this might be a good idea? The obvious question is "How did you land the job without any know-how?" Yup, you guessed it, I was a political appointee. My dad flew the owner's corporate jet and I just happened to mention one day how much I'd like to experience the cowboy lifestyle. Bada-bing, bada-boom! You got the job kid! Good luck!

I arrived sometime in the spring of 1979, looking like a complete fool - Brand new cowboy hat, sparkling clean and badly shaped, nice new jeans with cowboyish belt, freshly polished cowboy boots, and a new plaid shirt. Well, you get the picture! Even the horses must have thought I was some sort of practical joke. But to make a long story short, I adjusted quickly to this new reality. My cowboy colleagues weren't warm and fuzzy people. They were of the sink or swim mentality. As they rode off that first day, they left me in the dust nervously mounted on a horse named Rebel. While I tried to figure out how to steer the beast, Rebel began doing 360s. Eventually, Rebel must have become dizzy, at which point he decided to catch-up to his equine buddies. When I caught up to the gang, I played it cool and Rebel didn't let on that he was now in charge. Eventually, I learned to be a somewhat competent cowboy. When I left in the summer of '79, I could put in a 10 hour day of riding, I could shoe a horse, I could care for a string of horses, I could brand, earmark, innocculate, castrate and de-horn calves, and I just might have also made the move from child to man.

But the real beauty of that summer was I was instilled with a sense of wonder and curiousity that has served me well over the years. I learned that wading into something you know nothing about is totally OK. In fact, it's more than totally OK. It's the spice of life. It's more positive than negative. It's knocked me around a bit and it hasn't always been easy. It's been energizing. It's been amazing. It's the only way I know to expand my world, my capacity, my experience - This innate sense to EXPLORE.